U.S. patent number 7,341,483 [Application Number 11/179,448] was granted by the patent office on 2008-03-11 for protective sleeve arrangement for electrical connectors.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Weidmuller Interface GmbH & Co. KG. Invention is credited to Stefan Reker.
United States Patent |
7,341,483 |
Reker |
March 11, 2008 |
Protective sleeve arrangement for electrical connectors
Abstract
An electrical distributor assembly includes a plug member
connected with a socket member that is mounted on, and extends
slightly above, the top surface of a distributor housing,
characterized by the provision of an axially displaceable
protective sleeve mounted concentrically about the plug and socket
members. The plug includes an upwardly extending integral cable
supporting portion that is also enclosed by the sleeve.
Inventors: |
Reker; Stefan (Bielefeld,
DE) |
Assignee: |
Weidmuller Interface GmbH & Co.
KG (Detmold, DE)
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Family
ID: |
34937675 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/179,448 |
Filed: |
July 12, 2005 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20060025000 A1 |
Feb 2, 2006 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Jul 29, 2004 [DE] |
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20 2004 011 880 U |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
439/587;
439/369 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
13/562 (20130101); H01R 13/639 (20130101); H01R
25/003 (20130101); H01R 31/005 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R
13/40 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;439/281,552,252,553,246-248,578-585,736,209,535,320,638,211,650-654,587-589,369 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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101 60 910 |
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May 2003 |
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DE |
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1 251 595 |
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Oct 2002 |
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EP |
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Primary Examiner: Leon; Edwin A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Laubscher, Sr.; Lawrence E.
Laubscher, Jr.; Lawrence E.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Electrical distributor apparatus including connector protecting
means, comprising: (a) a rectangular distribution housing (2)
having a horizontal top surface (2a); (b) a cylindrical socket
member (5) having a vertical longitudinal axis, and an outer
circumferential surface defining a socket diameter; (c) support
means supporting said socket member in spaced relation above said
housing top surface, said support means including: (1) a
cylindrical first support member (6) arranged colinearly relative
to said socket member between said socket member and said housing
top surface, (2) said first support member having an outer
circumferential surface with a diameter that is at least as large
as the diameter of said socket member; (d) a cylindrical plug
member (7) mounted colinearly on said first support member, said
plug member having a lower end provided with a plurality of plug
contacts in engagement with corresponding socket contacts on the
upper end of said socket member, respectively; (e) a cable (8)
extending from the upper end of said plug member, said cable
including a plurality of conductors connected with said plug
contacts, respectively; and (f) a vertical axially displaceable
rigid tubular protective sleeve (9) having a lower end portion
extending concentrically about, and slidably connected with, said
first support member outer circumferential surface, (1) said sleeve
being open-ended and having throughout its length a uniform
internal diameter that is equal to said first support member given
diameter; (2) said sleeve extending upwardly concentrically about
the assembled plug and socket members, (3) said sleeve being
axially displaceable relative to said housing, said socket member,
said first support member, and said plug member.
2. Distributor apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the outer
diameter of said plug member is less than the inner diameter of
said sleeve.
3. Distributor apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said socket
member includes an end surface adjacent said plug that is spaced by
a distance (d) of at least 3 mm above said distributor body top
surface.
4. Distributor apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said sleeve
is formed from metal.
5. Distributor apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said
support means includes a second support member (11) arranged
between said housing top surface and said first support member,
said second support member including a horizontal upper surface
having at least one transverse horizontal dimension that is greater
than the internal diameter of said protective sleeve, said
protective sleeve having a lower extremity in abutting seated
engagement with said second support member upper surface.
6. Distributor apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said plug
member includes at one end remote from said socket member an
axially extending cable supporting portion (10) having a reduced
outer diameter and terminating at a free extremity, said sleeve
having a length (l) such that the upper end extremity of said
sleeve terminates opposite said free extremity of said cable
supporting portion.
7. Electrical distributor apparatus including connector protecting
means, comprising: (a) a rectangular distribution housing (2)
having a horizontal top surface (2a); (b) a cylindrical socket
member (5) having a vertical longitudinal axis, and an outer
circumferential surface defining a socket diameter; (c) support
means supporting said socket member in spaced relation above said
housing top surface, said support means including: (1) a
cylindrical first support member (6) arranged colinearly relative
to said socket member between said socket member and said housing
top surface, said first support member having an outer
circumferential surface with a diameter that is at least as large
as the diameter of said socket member; and (2) a second support
member (11) arranged between said housing top surface and said
first support member, said second support member having a
horizontal upper surface the transverse dimensions of which are
greater than said first support member given diameter; (d) a
cylindrical plug member (7) mounted colinearly on said first
support member, said plug member having a lower end provided with a
plurality of plug contacts in engagement with corresponding socket
contacts on the upper end of said socket member, respectively; (e)
a cable (8) extending from the upper end of said plug member, said
cable including a plurality of conductors connected with said plug
contacts, respectively; and (f) a vertical axially displaceable
rigid tubular protective sleeve (9) having a lower end portion
extending concentrically about and slidably connected with said
first support member outer circumferential surface, (1) said sleeve
being open-ended and having throughout its length a uniform
internal diameter that equals said first support member given
diameter; (2) said sleeve extending upwardly concentrically about
the assembled plug and socket members, (3) said sleeve being
axially displaceable relative to said housing, said socket member,
said first support member, and said plug member, (4) said sleeve
having a lower extremity seated on the upper surface of said second
support member.
8. Electrical distributor apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein
said plug member includes at its upper end a cable support portion
(10) that extends concentrically around the adjacent portion of
said cable; and further wherein: (5) said sleeve has an upper
extremity that terminates adjacent the upper extremity of said plug
member cable support portion.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
An electrical distributor assembly includes a plug member connected
with a socket member that is mounted on, and extends slightly
above, the top surface of a distributor housing, characterized by
the provision of an axially displaceable protective sleeve mounted
concentrically about the plug and socket members. The plug includes
an upwardly extending integral cable supporting portion that is
also enclosed by the sleeve.
2. Description of the Related Art
This invention relates to a distributor arrangement for supplying
electrical energy from cable conductors to the sensing and
actuating components of an automated building structure, including
a distributor housing that is provided with a plurality of sockets
connected with various the building components, and a plurality of
plugs that are connected with the supply cables, respectively.
Such arrangements are well known in the prior art, as shown, for
example, by the Yentile et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,174,206, and the
European Published Applicaton No. 1,251,595. In general, the power
supply cables are connected to the field bus subscribers by socket
members that at their ends facing the distributor have a
corresponding plug member. Although these arrangements generally
proved to be effective as such, it was nevertheless, discovered
that under extremely rough environmental conditions, a rupture
often occurs of the coupling between the plug and socket members,
or of the cable in the area of connection to the plug member.
Accordingly, in keeping with the present invention, there is
provided a protective sleeve that is axially displaceable to
concentrically enclose the coupled plug and socket members, which
sleeve preferably extends over the entire axial length of the plug
and socket assembly. In this manner, with a simple effort in terms
of design, one can ensure a particularly stable protection for the
coupling consisting of the socket and plug members mounted on the
distributor housing.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to
provide a distributor arrangement in which a socket member is
mounted on the top face of a distributor housing, a plug member is
mounted upon the socket member with contacts on the plug member in
engagement with corresponding contacts on the socket member, and a
protective sleeve is mounted concentrically about the plug and
socket assembly. The inner diameter of the sleeve corresponds with
the outer diameter of the socket member, whereby the sleeve is at
least partially supported by its engagement with the
circumferential surface of the socket member.
According to a more specific object of the invention, the socket
member is supported on the distributor body by a pair of
cylindrical support members. The upper first support member has a
diameter that corresponds with the inner diameter of the sleeve,
whereby the sleeve engages and is at least partially supported on
the distributor housing by the outer circumferential surface of the
upper support member. The lower support member has an outer
diameter that is greater than the inner diameter of the sleeve,
whereby the lower support member serves as an abutment or stop for
limiting the downward movement of the sleeve relative to the plug
and socket assembly. The length of the sleeve is such that when the
lower end of the sleeve engages the lower support member, the upper
end of the sleeve terminates opposite the upper extremity of a
cable supporting portion that extends axially upwardly from the
plug.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent
from a study of the following specification when viewed in the
light of the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a top front perspective view of the distributor apparatus
of the present invention; and
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring first more particularly to FIG. 1, the distributor
apparatus 1 includes a distributor housing 2 having a top surface
2a upon which are mounted a plurality of electrical connectors 3
and 4 having cylindrical socket members 5 that are adapted for
connection with the various sensors or actuators of an automated
building system via cables 8, and to the main control panel by the
distributor cable means C. The connections provided by the contacts
3 and 4 are of the so-called "M-standard" type, such as M5
connections, M6 connections, M12 connections, and so forth. Each of
the socket members 5 is supported a given distance d (FIG. 2) from
the distributor body top surface 2a by upper first and lower second
cylindrical support members 6 and 11, respectively. This distance d
is on the order of several millimeters, and is preferably greater
than 3 mm. As is common with the M-standard type connections, a nut
(not shown) may be provided for firmly connecting the plug member 7
to the socket member 5. The socket support members 6 and 11 are
preferably formed from a conventional synthetic plastic electrical
insulating material.
Mounted on the socket members 5 are plug members 7 having
electrical contacts that engage corresponding contacts 3 and 4 on
the socket members. The contacts of each plug member are connected
with the corresponding conductors of a cable 8 that extends
upwardly from the plug via an axially extending integral cable
supporting plug portion 10. The plug and socket members are
preferably formed from a suitable electrically insulating synthetic
plastic material, as is known in the art.
As best shown in FIG. 2, according to a characterizing feature of
the present invention, a rigid protective sleeve 9 is provided that
is axially displaceable to a position concentrically enclosing the
assembled plug and socket members. More particularly, the sleeve 9,
which is preferably formed of metal, has an inner diameter that
corresponds with the outer diameter of the upper socket support
member 6. Thus, when the sleeve is axially displaced relative to
the socket member, the sleeve will slidingly engage the outer
circumferential surface of the upper socket support member, thereby
to firmly connect the two members together in a stable manner, with
the sleeve being supported by the socket support member. The outer
diameter of the cylindrical plug member 7 is slightly less than the
inner diameter of the sleeve 9, and the plug cable supporting
portion 10 has an outer diameter that is appreciably less than that
of the inner diameter of the sleeve 9. The lower support member 11
has a diameter that is greater than the inner diameter of the
sleeve 9, whereby when the sleeve is mounted to protectively
enclose the connected plug and socket members, the lower end of the
sleeve abuts and is seated on the upper end of the lower support
member 11. The length l of the sleeve is such that the upper end of
the sleeve 9 terminates precisely adjacent the upper extremity of
the cable supporting portion 10 of the plug member. In this manner,
nicking of the cable outer insulation layer by the protective
sleeve 9 is avoided.
While in accordance with the provisions of the Patent Statutes the
preferred forms and embodiments of the invention have been
illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in
the art that various changes may be made without deviating from the
inventive concepts set forth above.
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